Re: Next endurance prospects

[benamil@juno.com (David Bennett)]

Guess I have to speak out on this one.  I have done it both ways...  

My first endurance horse (not my first horse by a long shot) was a
bargain at less than $1000.  He is a full Egyptian, retired sound from
the track.  Former owner bought him for big money but then was afraid "he
would run away".   So, he was a pasture ornament for 3 or 4 years.   I
think that I was extremely lucky to get such a nice, sound, very
manageable horse that loves to  go for such a small price.  Nothing wrong
with him except the person who had owned him.  Six years later he is
still sound and doing 50's with consistent good finishes.  I could afford
to lose him financially but would be terribly unhappy if something did
happen to him.  To me he is much more valuable than what he would bring
in a sale....

My new youngster was bred to be a distance horse with parents that were
themselves successful endurance horses.   He had ground training and some
arena work before I got him and was very manageable.  But, he had no
riding on the trail at all.  I paid more than I am willing to admit to
anyone except the insurance agent who wrote my policy on him.  Yet, I
know about what it cost to get him to the point where I bought him.  I
think that he is worth every bit of what he cost me and then some.   I
also know that I would not have him if I had been unwilling to pay a fair
price for him.    Could I have gotten another at a low price like my
first endurance horse?  Possibly - but there was the risk of going
through several horses before I found a 'keeper'.  Do that more than once
and all that I saved would be more than lost.   In the meantime,  I ain't
getting any younger!  Even including the purchase price, the average cost
per year of ownership should be only a little more than with one bought
at a lower price.

I am not especially wealthy.  To handle the financial risk, I simply 
insured him for enough to cover me if he were to do the proverbial "break
a leg".   Insurance is cheap yet does just what it is intended to do -
make the risk of owning a more costly horse tolerable.  One can insure a
horse worth thousands for only a little more than the cost of one or two
visits by the farrier.

As some others have pointed out, price alone does not guarantee that one
will end up with a successful endurance horse.  There are too many
variables.  But, it doesn't hurt to shop around and stack the odds in
your favor as much as you can.

Just my opinion...
Dave Bennett
Chickamauga, Georgia



On Thu, 8 Jan 1998 13:13:05 EST Debbyly <Debbyly@aol.com> writes:
>I have been reading all these postings bragging about bargain horses.  
>Your
>message about paying what a horse is worth encouraged me to add my 
>opinion.
>Good breeders can only continue breeding programs specifically for 
>endurance
>horses if endurance riders are willing to pay for good endurance 
>prospects.
>Three years ago I purchased a two year old gelding from Bellesemo 
>Arabians.
>He is now five and starting to do endurance.  I think he is going to 
>be
>wonderful.  I paid more for him than I would have for a backyard 
>horse, but in
>the long run the difference is minimal.  The purchase price is often 
>the least
>of the expenses involved with owning a horse.  I hope that more 
>endurance
>riders will turn to reputable breeders when looking for a prospect so 
>that
>breeding programs can continue.  Sometimes bargain hunting can be
>shortsighted.
>
>Debby
>
>